Education

2006-2011 Ph. D (Biochemistry) Annamalai University, India
2005-2006 M. Phill (Biochemistry) Annamalai University, India
2002-2004 M.Sc. (Biochemistry) Annamalai University, India

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Research Experience

2022-Present Research Assistant Professor
2022-Aug 2022 Scientist KOR Life Sciences/Vikor Scientific LLC, Charleston, SC, USA
2018-2021 Assistant Scientist, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
2016-Feb 2018 Post-doctoral fellow, Auburn University, Auburn, AL
2013-2016 Post-doctoral Fellow, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland
2012-2013 Post-doctoral Fellow, University of Hawaii Cancer Center, Honolulu, Hawaii

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Research Interest

Dr. Palrasu is interested in understanding the development of gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, including colitis, colon cancer, and gastric carcinogenesis. A complex interplay of microbial, environmental, and host genetic factors contributes to chronic inflammation and the initiation of colon and gastric cancers. However, the precise mechanistic role of chronic inflammation in the pathogenesis of GI disorders remains unclear. His research focuses on how microbial, host, and environmental factors—such as inflammatory diseases and infections—promote tumor development and progression. In particular, he studies the role of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a key sensor of environmental and microbial signals, in regulating immune responses and maintaining intestinal homeostasis. By modulating the function of immune and epithelial cells in the gut, AhR signaling influences inflammation, barrier integrity, and susceptibility to tumorigenesis. Based on these findings, his current research focuses on the investigating the precise mechanism and cellular signals by which AhR regulates immune response during colitis development and prevent progression from colitis to colon cancer.

Another research area of his interest includes how pathological factors such as inflammatory diseases and infections promote gastric tumor development and progression. His team has recently reported that Siva1 is inhibited by H. pylori in gastric epithelial cells. These studies revealed how SIVA1 is robustly expressed in gastric chief cells under homeostasis but lost during chronic infection. Because chief cells are long-lived and undergo paligenosis during injury, SIVA1 loss may allow survival of damaged or reprogrammed cells, driving mutational accumulation, metaplasia, and neoplasia. The future research goal is to investigates how H. pylori–mediated downregulation of SIVA1 in chief cells promotes preneoplastic transitions and facilitates gastric cancer.

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Publications

• Palrasu M, Marudamuthu A, Kakar K, Hamida H, Thada S, Gupta R, Wilson K, Carter T, Zhong Y, Saxena A, Yang X, Singh N, Busbee PB, Li J, Garcia-Buitrago M, Nagarkatti P, Nagarkatti M. AhR-Dependent Induction of β-Defensin 1 in Colonic Epithelial Cells Regulates Cross-Talk between Gut Microbiota and Immune Response Leading to Attenuation of Colitis. Adv Sci (Weinh) (Impact factor 14.3). 2025 Jul;12(25):e2416324
• Palrasu M, Kakar K, Marudamuthu A, Hamida H, Thada S, Zhong Y, Staley S, Busbee PB, Li J, Garcia-Buitrago M, Nagarkatti M, Nagarkatti P. AhR Activation Transcriptionally Induces Anti-Microbial Peptide Alpha-Defensin 1 Leading to Reversal of Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis and Colitis. Gut Microbes (Impact factor 12.3). 2025 Dec;17(1):2460538
• Manikandan P, Elena Z, Wael ER, Monica GB, Maria BP, Keith TW, Peek RM Jr, Alexander ZI. Bacterial CagA protein compromises tumor suppressor mechanisms in gastric epithelial cells. J Clin Invest 2020;130(5):2422-2434. (Impact factor 14.80).
• Palrasu M, Zaika E, Paulrasu K, Caspa Gokulan R, Suarez G, Que J, El-Rifai W, Peek RM Jr, Garcia-Buitrago M, Zaika AI. Helicobacter pylori pathogen inhibits cellular responses to oncogenic stress and apoptosis. PLoS Pathog. 2022 Jun 29;18(6):e1010628. (Impact factor 6.7).
• Horvat A, Noto JM, Ramatchandirin B, Zaika E, Palrasu M, Wei J, Schneider BG, El-Rifai W, Peek RM Jr, Zaika AI. Helicobacter pylori pathogen regulates p14ARF tumor suppressor and autophagy in gastric epithelial cells. Oncogene. 2018 37(37):5054-5065. (Impact factor 6.63).
• Nagini S, Palrasu M, Bishayee A. Limonoids from neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) are potential anticancer drug candidates. Med Res Rev. 2023 Aug 17. doi: 10.1002/med.21988. (Impact factor 10.93).
• Palrasu M, Zaika E, El-Rifai W, Que J, Zaika AI. Role of Bacterial and Viral Pathogens in Gastric Carcinogenesis. Cancers (Basel). 2021 Apr 14;13(8):1878. (Impact factor 6.57).
  
• Nagini S, Nivetha R*, Manikandan P*, Mishra R. Nimbolide, a Neem Limonoid is a Promising Candidate for the Anticancer Drug Arsenal. J Med Chem. 2021 Apr 8;64(7):3560-3577. (Impact factor 8.3).
  
• Manikandan P, Vinothini G, Vidya Priyadarsini R, Prathiba D, Nagini S. Eugenol inhibits cell proliferation via NF-κB suppression in a rat model of gastric carcinogenesis induced by MNNG. Invest New Drugs 2011, 29: 110-117. (Impact factor 3.35).
• Manikandan P, Senthil Murugan R, Vidya Priyadarsini R, Vinothini G, Nagini S. Eugenol induces apoptosis and inhibits invasion and angiogenesis in a rat model of gastric carcinogenesis induced by MNNG. Life Sci 2010, 86: 936-941. (Impact factor 5.2).
  
• Palrasu M, Knapinska AM, Diez J, Smith L, LaVoi T, Giulianotti M, Houghten RA, Fields GB, Minond D. A Novel Probe for Spliceosomal Proteins that Induces Autophagy and Death of Melanoma Cells Reveals New Targets for Melanoma Drug Discovery. Cell Physiol Biochem. 2019;53(4):656-686. (Impact factor 5.5).
  
• Manikandan P, Ramalingam SM, Vinothini G, Ramamurthi VP, Singh IP, Anandan R, Gopalakrishnan M, Nagini S. Investigation of the chemopreventive potential of neem leaf subfractions in the hamster buccal pouch model and phytochemical characterization. Eur J Med Chem 2012, 56: 271-281. (Impact factor 6.0).

Additional Publications